DUCHESS

by Susan Holloway Scott



Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill follows the life of Sarah Jennings, a distant relative of the late Princess Diana, from her common beginnings during the final years of the reign of King Charles II through her marriage to future war hero John Churchill, her meteoric rise at court and her devastating fall from the favor of her life-long friend and former lover, Queen Anne.

Romance readers take note: When I looked at the author's photo in the back of the book, I couldn't figure out why she looked so familiar. Turns out, while Duchess is her first book as "Susan Holloway Scott", she wrote more than 30 historical romances under the name "Miranda Jarrett". I loved her books in the Harlequin Historicals line! (Do you remember Harlequin Historicals? It was a great line of books.) That completely explained why this book read like a straight historical most of the time but had identifiable romance novel elements in certain parts. Duchess is a satisfying read that skillfully bridges the gap between "historical" and "historical romance".



Other books by Susan Holloway Scott:

Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess Castlemaine and King Charles II
The King's Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II


Look for more information on Susan Holloway Scott and her work on her Official Web Site.

HIS EXCELLENCY: GEORGE WASHINGTON

by Joseph J. Ellis



If you're looking for a biography of this American icon that is both readable and of a digestible length, His Excellency: George Washington fits the bill. Unlike John Adams, it sticks to George and doesn't give a lot superfluous details about other people when they don't pertain to the event at hand. Which means we don't learn a lot about Martha, but if a person is interested, there are plenty of books out about her. I found the author's style of writing very accessible, so I will be looking into more of Joseph J. Ellis' books when it comes time for me to read more American history.

THE LADY ELIZABETH

by Alison Weir



The Lady Elizabeth tells of the early life of Queen Elizabeth I from her childhood just preceding her mother Anne Boleyn's execution until the death of her sister Mary and her ascension to the throne of England.

Most of the fiction I've read about Elizabeth tends to focus on either her relationship with Robert Dudley or the strained and tragic events between her and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. While Dudley makes a few cameos in The Lady Elizabeth, he is not yet a player in her life and her cousin is a future problem. It was refreshing to see a completely different aspect of her life. Some of the events are shown from other points of view in Weir's previous fictional outing, Innocent Traitor, but retold here to give Elizabeth's side of the story. I loved the way that touch tied the two books together. The author's note at the end of the novel explaining which parts are based on fact and which result from speculation and literary license adds to the allure of the woman who would come to be known as The Virgin Queen.

THE ROSSETTI LETTER

by Christi Phillips



While researching her dissertation, Ph.D. candidate Claire Donovan uncovers previously unknown facts about the Spanish Conspiracy in early 17th century Venice and secrets about the life a courtesan who brought down the conspirators.

That's the very simplified summary. Part historical, part mystery, part contemporary romance and completely captivating, The Rossetti Letter is an excellent companion for the beach, patio, or favorite chair. I particularly enjoyed the sections set in historical Venice, but it was very interesting to see the competition of modern academic life as Clare races to finish her research before a famous and snooty scholar can refute her years of work. All this while she plays chaperone for a troubled teenager whose newly-married dad is on his honeymoon. While pieces of the story are somewhat predicable, there were plenty of surprises to keep you guessing. It's a fast read with a lot to offer, and it made me quite anxious to get my hands on Christi Phillips' second novel, The Devlin Diary, coming in January 2009!

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 10 1/2 CHAPTERS

by Julian Barnes



Beginning with a story about what truly happened on Noah's Ark, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters proceeds in a series of vignettes set in various times and places that all hark back to the Ark and cleverly question the current state of humanity.

That's my take on what it's about anyway. I'm guessing an English major would have a field day analyzing the daylights out of this book. I tend to soak up messages and just move on, but here I found myself flipping back to previous stories, rereading passages and mulling over connections and what I thought it all meant. Some stories moved me deeply, some went right over my head, but all were intriguing. This is a book I would love to come back to in the future.

As a side note, there is a great story in here about the wreck of the Medusa and an absorbing study of Gericault's painting, "The Raft of the Medusa". Now I'm dying to get to Arabella Edge's book, The God of Spring, which revolves around the painting of that masterpiece. So many books. . .

TIME'S ARROW

by Martin Amis



Time's Arrow is the life of an Auschwitz doctor from death to birth, experienced and told in reverse by an alternate consciousness that exists inside of him.

Time's Arrow is probably the most unique reading experience I have ever encountered. I had to really think about what was happening as the backwards actions cause good deeds to look bad and bad deeds to look benevolent, which often makes the former humorous and the latter even more repulsive. Observing the Holocaust from this twisted vantage point turned it into a mass resurrection, reunion of families, and societal integration. All the while, your brain is twisting it back into the sickening slaughter it was in reality, and the innocence of the narration magnifies the offense, chilling you to the bone.

This is the first book I've read by Martin Amis, but it definitely will not be the last.

STEALING ATHENA

by Karen Essex



Stealing Athena is two stories told in parallel. One is the story of Aspasia, consort of Pericles, leader during the Golden Age of Athens. The other, set in the early 19th century, is of Mary, Lady Elgin, wife of Lord Elgin, who, amid political turbulence and controversy, brought some of the sculptures of the Parthenon, known as the Elgin Marbles, to England.

Though they lived over two millennia apart, the experiences of the two women are strikingly similar. Both intelligent and independent-minded, they try to get along in male-dominated worlds. They work in the background to help their men achieve the glory they seek so desperately. They bear and raise the children that will carry on their men's names. But when they chafe against long-held custom, each will face the wrath of her society and each will triumph in her own way. And through it all, the reader will watch the construction and deconstruction of one of the most famous buildings in the world -- the Parthenon.

For readers who like the "learning" aspects of reading historicals, but don't like to be bogged down by pages and pages of details, Stealing Athena is perfect. The history included is most absorbing, but the bulk of the book truly revolves around Aspasia and Mary and how they cope when it seems the world has conspired against not only themselves, but against all women. In a letter to readers, author Karen Essex says, "I made it my goal to revive the stories of extraordinary women, highlighting the ways that they transformed the times in which they lived and the world beyond." Stealing Athena accomplishes this worthy aspiration in spades!

Lezlie

For more on Karen Essex and her work, see her Official Website.

To read an interview with Ms. Essex from the Historical Boys blog by historical author C.W. Gortner, click here!

Everything Happens For A Reason

Wow! Despite our bad luck this weekend at the trial, I have to thank our lucky stars! Remember the storm that I mentioned in my last post? A friend who was at the trial on Sunday said many people showed up to blown away and/or ruined tents and other equipment due to the high winds that came through. (I heard they were over 60 mph.) Because Peter was still not feeling like he could run Skye and I pulled Max from competition for being naughty, we had gone and packed up our tent and brought everything home early Saturday evening. Otherwise, we'd have a few hundred dollars worth of tent and kennels that could very well need replacing right now. Whew! Max still has to go to a few extra obedience lessons though. . . :-)

Lezlie